Identification card holding means for tray or drawer



J. PIPE June 8, 1965 IDENTIFICATION CARD HOLDING MEANS FOR TRAY OR DRAWER Filed May 8, 1962 INVENTOR. JOHN PIPE ATTORA/EKS United States Patent 3,187,453 IDENTIFICATIGN CARD HGLDENG MEANS FGR TRAY GR DRAWER John Pipe, Grand Rapids, Mich, assignor to Steelcase, llnc., Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed May 8, 1962, Ser. No. 193,183 a 3 Claims. (Cl. 40-4525) This invention relates to card retaining means for a amass Basically, the invention comprises a panel construction including a generally flat, depressed portion adapted to receive a card, and having top and bottom slots for retaining the card, with a card support surface being provided beneath the bottom slot. The invention also comprises at least one cavity under the card in the flat area, adapted to receive a finger tip so that pressing a finger tip against the card over the cavity will cause the card to buckle so that an edge will protrude outwardly to be grasped for simple removal.

It will be understood that the cardv retaining means could conceivably be utilized for many'types of retainer structures. It is especially useful and thus is described with respect to a drawer or tray-type structure.

If the slot is hidden'in this peripheral flange so as not a to be visible when the drawer is closed, cards cannot be inserted or removed unless the drawer is unlocked and opened. Moreover, cards are ordinarily very difiicult to remove from this type of retaining means since they must be slid by pressure of the finger tips until an edge is pushed within grasp. v

If ,the card retaining means is modified to eliminate the hidden nature ofthe slots, or to enable the cards to be removed mo're readily, the construction then becomesunsightly. Moreover, most conventional card retaining means have retaining brackets which protrude from the face of the panel in an uncomely manner. These brackets are also relatively expensive. Thus, these constructions not only involve unsightlyappearance and ditficulty of use, but also considerable manufacturing and assembly costs. Moreover, conventional constructions of the retaining means preventthe location of the drawer handle adjacent the top of the drawer since it would interfere With passage of the card through the usual slot means.

It is an object of this invention to provide a front panel with a drawer-type container having a novel card retaining means enabling location of the handle adjacent the top of the drawer. It is another object of this invention to provide a car retaining means enablingsimple and convenient insertion and/ or removal of the card, Whether the drawer is opened or closed, and with a minimum of effort. It is another object of this invention to provide a front panel construction witha card retainingmeans adapted to be formed by rapid, relatively inexpensive manufacing added assembly operations. Moreover, the card retaining means does not protrude outwardly from the face of the panel, and is aesthetically appealing.

It is still another object of this invention to provid a card retaining means on a relatively flat panel, especially in a recessed portionthereof, enabling simple removal of the card even from this recessed condition because of a unique panel structure allowing an edge of the card to be protruded when desired.

These and other objects of this invention Will be apparent upon studying the following specification in conjunction with the drawings in which: a v

' FIG. 1 ha perspective view of a card drawer showing one form of my invention;

' an identification card inserted in the card retaining means;

and

on plane III-III Alongithe top and bottom, however, the'sheet metal is turing steps of die stamping and cutting, and not requir- FIG. 5' is a perspective View of thepanel illustrated in i I FIG. 4 showing the removal of the identification card;.

Referring to FIG. 1, the invention is shown embodied in a typical card drawer or tray 10including sides 12 and 14, bottom 16, back end 18, slidable card compressor 24), and front end panel 22. The front panel 22 includes handle 24 mounted adjacent the top thereof. The handle is mounted on studs (not shown) which extend through openings 25 and are secured by suitable nuts (not shown), or attached with screws. Beneath the handle is a card receiving recess or depressed area 2.6. The front panel includes a peripheral rearwardly directed flange 28. A

cover panel 32 on the inside of the front panel22 is preferably provided.

In the lower portion of the panel 22, beneath handle 24, l

is the generally flat depression or recessed portion or panel 38, preferably deformed from the mainface panel by diestamping. Portion 38 remains integral with the panel 2;. at the lateral edges 40 and 42 of the recessed portion.

upper edge of portion 38. These cavities are preferably inthe form of concave depressions adapted to receive a finger tip. Instead of depressions, these cavities could conceivably be openings in panel 38; Also, instead of being of a relatively small width, one cavity could extend along the entire upper edge of panel portion 38, instead of being spaced as shown. It'is importantthat the dimensions of the cavity be largeenough to receive a finger tip "so that the card'can be made to buckle by pressing a fingertip over the cavity.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the novel panel is shown in use with an identification card 60. Card 60 may be. inserted into the card retaining means by sliding the upper edge vofthe card into slot 46 a substantial distance, and

dropping the lower edge of the card down through slot 43 until it rests on flange portionfiil. It then assumes the position illustrated in FIG; 4. The card is retained in this inserted position since the lower edge rests upon surface 30 and small inwardly directed flanges 31 and 33 provide edge retaining means for the card. To remove the card,

it is again slid upwardly through slot 46 to free the lower edge 62 of the card, and then-a finger tip 64 is pressed against the card 60 over one of the cavities (here cavity 50), causing the card to buckle so that the lower edge 62 protrudes outwardly away fromthepanel, enabling it to be grasped for removal of the card.

- Slight modifications of the invention as illustrated may 7 occur to those in the art upon studying, the foregoing principles involved Such' obvious modifications are deemed to be part of this invention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and the reasonably equivalent structures thereto.

Patented June 8, i965 I claim:

1. A drawer front panel enabling the same panel to be the drawer front and a card retention means allowing frontal removal of a card retained thereby comprising: a sheet metal panel; a. generally flat integral depressed portion in said panel forming an open and unobstructed cavity having an integral back Wall and a front opening through which said integral back wall is accessible from the front; said portion and panel adapted to receive a card through said front opening and retain it adjacent and flat against said wall; slot means severed between said portion and panel on opposite edges of said portion enabling said card to be slid into one slot to expose an edge of said card; and at least one indentation depressed into said generally flat depressed portion, whereby a retained card can be slid partially into said one slot to expose a card edge, and the card'portion over said indentation can be pushed thereinto to buckle said card and cause said edge to protrude outwardly, enabling grasping and frontal removal thereof.

2. A front panel construction for a drawer allowing frontal removal of an identification card comprising: a sheet-metal panel; a handle mounted to the outside of said panel adjacent the top' thereof; identification card retaining means below said handle; said retaining means including a generally fiat, inwardly-depressed and spaced portion of said sheet metal panel, integral with said panel along the lateral edges of said portion; severed slots extending along the top and bottom edges of said portion; said panel including an integral card support surface below the slot along said bottom edge deformed to a position beneath said slot; and at least one inwardlydirected indentation depressed into said generally fiat portion adapted to receive a finger tip; whereby a card may be inserted into said retaining means without interference with said handle by inserting the card a substantial distance into the top slot and then lowering it through said bottom slot into said surface, and may be readily removed by raising the card into the slot along said top edge to free the bottom edge of the card, and then pressing a finger tip against said card over said indentation to cause said bottom card edge to protrude for grasping.

3. In an identification card holding means for a card capable of being buckled comprising: a panel having a front surface; an open and unobstructed recess in said front surface, said recess having a back wall and a front opening through which said wall is accessible from the front, said wall and opening being substantially the same size and shape as such card; said recess having top and bottom slots behind said panel and adapted for receiving the top and bottom edges respectively of such card; a stoprneans located below the bottom slot a predetermined distance; said top slot being unobstructed thereabove a distance greater than said distance below which said stop means is located below said bottom slot whereby such card can be slid upwardly into said top slot so as to move the bottom edge of such card above said bottom slot permitting it to be dropped therein; and at least one depression in said back wall located adjacent and below said top slot providing means for deforming portions of such card and causing such card to buckle and the lower edge of such card to protrude outwardly enabling grasping and removal thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 729,551 5/03 Kade -325 1,474,424 11/23 Maxey 40-16 1,755,758 4/30 Zimmerman 40-46 1,940,512 12/33 Roscoe 40-16 2,018,528 10/35 Marsch 40-16 2,748,513 6/56 Brady 40/325 FOREIGN PATENTS 110,77 2 5/44 Sweden.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner.

L. J. LENNY, Examiner. 

1. A DRAWER FRONT PANEL ENABLING THE SAME PANEL TO BE THE DRAWER FRONT AND A CARD RETENTION MEANS ALLOWING FRONTAL REMOVAL OF A CARD RETAINED THEREBY COMPRISING: A SHEET METAL PANEL; A GENERALLY FLAT INTEGRAL DEPRESSED PORTION IN SAID PANEL FORMING AN OPEN AND UNOBSTRUCTED CAVITY HAVING AN INTEGRAL BACK WALL AND A FRONT OPENING THROUGH WHICH SAID INTEGRAL BACK WALL AND A FRONT OPENING THE FRONT; SAID PORTION AND PANEL ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A CARD THROUGH SAID FRONT OPENING AND RETAIN IT ADJACENT AND FLAT AGAINST SAID WALL; SLOT MEANS SEVERED BETWEEN SAID PORTION AND PANEL ON OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID PORTION ENABLING SAID CARD TO BE SLID INTO ONE SLOT TO EXPOSE AN EDGE OF SAID CARD; AND AT LEAST ONE INDENTATION DEPRESSED INTO SAID GENERALLY FLAT DEPRESSED PORTION, WHEREBY A RETAINED CARD CAN BE SLID PARTIALLY INTO SAID ONE SLOT TO EXPOSE A CARD EDGE, AND THE CARD PORTION OVER SAID INDENTATION CAN BE PUSHED THEREINTO TO BUCKLE SAID CARD AND CAUSE SAID EDGE TO PROTRUDE OUTWARDLY, ENABLING GRASPING AND FRONTAL REMOVAL THEREOF. 